His government has pledged $8 million to the project so far, with another $200 million or more required from them.

The most controversial route — the north corridor on Richmond Street and beneath it through a 900-metre tunnel — runs right through his London North Centre riding, alarming many residents.

The federal government has pledged to stay out of the details of big-ticket transit projects like London’s $560-million BRT plan.

But at a meeting this week with city politicians, Fragiskatos raised the concerns he’s hearing from Londoners about the structure of the BRT plan and the backlash against it.

“I have heard a number of concerns about the tunnel,” he said.

After the debate, he clarified his comments and the reasons he made them.

“I’m concerned because constituents have concerns,” said Fragiskatos, a supporter of BRT. “I feel compelled to bring those forward and today was a good opportunity to talk to city hall about that.

“I’m raising the concerns of my constituents, but we do have jurisdictional issues here. The federal government cannot be in the business of approving blueprints for communities on transit issues.”

City hall’s public consultation in the early phase of the BRT project has been widely criticized. It gave rise, in part, to Down Shift, a well-organized group of core merchants who want major changes.

Tourism London added its voice Thursday to concerns.

The proposed plan “has the potential of encumbering Tourism London’s ability to attract major sporting, entertainment and convention efforts due to an anticipated lengthy construction schedule and associated factors,” says the letter to the mayor and council, signed by general manager John Winston.

The routes would have a negative impact on Budweiser Gardens loading dock, street parking on Richmond and King streets, and mobility in the core, the letter says.

The letter urges the city to consider amending the plan, without offering options.

City council has approved a BRT system in which high-­frequency buses would run along L- and 7-shaped corridors, with the King-Clarence streets intersection as the hub. The exact routes through downtown are the battleground, in two spots in particular:

• North corridor, running on Clarence Street into a 900-metre tunnel beneath Richmond Row and on a dedicated lane on Richmond Street in Old North to Western University’s campus.

• King Street, near Budweiser Gardens, where vehicle traffic would be in just one lane to make room for east- and westbound curb-running lanes exclusive to buses.